Universal holster for sighted handguns

ABSTRACT

A holster for concealing a laser-sighted handgun is provided. Advantageously, the holster fits lasers and handguns of many sizes. The holster may be readily attached to a belt around the waist or ankle. The holster is configured such that it is comfortable and such that a handgun is concealable with most usual movements of a user. For example, a handgun remains in substantially the same position within the holster when a user bends forward thereby remaining concealed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a universal holster forhandguns having a sight such as, for example, a laser sight.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

Current available handgun holsters are not adequately adapted forsighted weapons such as those handguns with a laser sight permanently orremovably affixed below or above the gun barrel. That is, in order for atraditional holster to adequately accommodate a laser sighted handgunthe holster would have to be custom made for the specific handgunwhether it be a 9 mm, a 38, a 45, etc. and perhaps even customized forthe specific laser sight involved. What is needed is a universal holsterthat will accommodate a variety of size handguns and a variety ofvarious laser sights available. It would be advantageous if such aholster were comfortable to wear and concealed the handgun even when theuser was bending and/or moving. It would further be advantageous if sucha holster could be made to be worn on the waist or ankle with aconventional belt or strap. It would further be advantageous if such aholster facilitated rapid removal of such a laser-sighted handgun fromthe holster.

Advantageously, the present invention solves the above-mentioned issueswith conventional holsters and has additional advantages. In oneembodiment the invention pertains to a holster for concealing alaser-sighted handgun comprising a closed front tab; a closed rear tab;and a pouch for storing a firearm between said closed front tab andclosed rear tab. The pouch comprises a top opening for receiving ahandgun barrel, a bottom opening adjacent the rear tab, and a bottomopening adjacent the front tab. The front tab comprises a front tabfastener configured to be attached to a user. The rear tab comprises arear tab fastener configured to be attached to a user. The front tabfastener is nearer the top of the holster than the rear tab fastener. Inthis manner a handgun remains in substantially the same position withinthe holster when a user moves such as when a user bends forward.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the above recited features, advantages, andobjects of the present invention are attained and can be understood indetail, a more particular description of the invention, brieflysummarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereofwhich are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted,however, that the appended drawings only illustrate preferredembodiments of this invention, and are therefore not to be consideredlimiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equallyeffective embodiments that vary only in detail. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a side of a specific holster embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows the opposing side of a specific holster embodiment with thehandgun in the holster.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claimsto refer to particular system components. This document does not intendto distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.

General Holster Description and Manufacturing Method

The holsters of the present invention may be configured in anyconvenient manner and such manners may vary depending on the desiredcharacteristics, available supplies, manufacturing equipment, and thelike. Typically, the holsters comprise a front tab, a rear tab, and apouch for storing a firearm such as a sighted handgun between saidclosed front tab and closed rear tab.

The front tab is on the portion of the holster designed to be facingand/or is near the forward portion of the user when, for example, theholster is attached around a user's waist or ankle. That is, the fronttab would be closer to the stomach than the back of the user.Conversely, the rear tab of the holster is designed to be facing to therear of the user when, for example, the holster is attached around auser's waist or ankle. That is, the rear tab would be closer to the backthan the stomach of the user.

The front tab and rear tab are each typically closed meaning that theygenerally do not need to have any openings. The material of the fronttab, rear tab, and or other parts of the holster may be the same ordifferent and is not particularly critical. Generally, the material maybe any material that provides the desired characteristics. Suitablematerials typically include, for example, pliable plastics and leatherssuch as polymers, synthetic leathers, and natural leathers.

The front tab may be an integral portion of material or alternativelymay comprise a body facing material component and a material componentthat faces away from the body wherein the two components are stitchedand/or somehow adhered to each other, or both during the manufacturingof the tab and/or holster. The same is true of the rear tab.

The size of the front tab and rear tab of the holster may vary dependingupon the desired characteristics of the holster and the materialsemployed. In this vein the height, length and width of the front tab andrear tab of the holster may be the same or different and are typicallysufficient to support the weight of the sighted handgun using thematerials employed. Typically, the front tab and/or the back tab has alength of at least about 1.5, or at least about 1.75, or at least about2 inches up to about 3.5, or to up to about 3.25, or up to about 3inches. Typically, the front tab and/or the back tab has a height of atleast about 3, or at least about 3.25, or at least about 3.5 inches upto about 4.25, or to up to about 4.5, or up to about 5 inches. The widthof the front tab and/or the back tab may vary from about 0.0625 inchesto about 0.25 inches.

The front tab usually comprises a front tab fastener configured to beattached to a user while the rear tab comprises a rear tab fastenerconfigured to be attached to a user. In some embodiments the front tabfastener and rear tab fastener may span from the front tab to the reartab such that the front tab and rear tab fastener are integral and/orattached to each other. In some embodiments the front tab and rear tabfastener may be a clip or other mechanism that is configured to attachthe tab to a waist or ankle belt of the user.

In some embodiments the front tab fastener is nearer the top of theholster than the rear tab fastener. That is, the front tab fastener actsto hold the front of the holster in a higher position that the rear tabfastener holds the rear of the holster. Thus, the holster may be affixedto the user in an angled position. In this manner, a handgun in theholster may remain in substantially the same position within the holsterwhen a user bends forward or otherwise engages in natural body movement.Also, the angled position of the holster may also allow the holster tobe configured such that a handgun remains substantially concealed when auser bends forward or otherwise engages in natural body movement.

The holster also comprises a pouch for storing a firearm between saidclosed front tab and closed rear tab. The pouch may be made of the sameor different material as described above for the front tab and rear tab.The size and shape of the pouch may vary depending upon the desiredcharacteristics. Typically, the pouch comprises a top opening forreceiving a handgun barrel, a bottom opening adjacent the rear tab, anda bottom opening adjacent the front tab.

The size and shape of each of the aforementioned openings in the pouchmay vary depending upon the materials and desired characteristics.Typically, the bottom opening adjacent the rear tab is slightly largerthan the bottom opening adjacent the front tab. In this manner thebottom opening adjacent the rear tab may be configured to receive alaser sight mounted to a barrel of a handgun. In some embodiments, thebottom opening adjacent the rear tab may range in length from about 1.5,or from about 2 up to about 4 inches or up to about 3 inches when theholster is laid flat without a weapon. The bottom opening adjacent thefront tab is usually slightly smaller and may range in length from about1.0, or from about 1.25 up to about 3 inches or up to about 2 incheswhen the holster is laid flat without a weapon.

The top opening of the pouch may also vary in size depending upon thedesired characteristics. Typically, the top opening of the pouch has alength of from 3.5 to about 5 inches when the pouch is laid flat withouta weapon. On the other hand, the top opening of the pouch generally hasa length of from 2 to about 4 inches when the pouch is occupied by alaser-sighted handgun.

In some embodiments, the pouch extends upwardly above the closed fronttab and/or extends upwardly above the closed rear tab. In this manner,the height may be selected to be from about 6 to about 8 inches. Ifdesired, the top of the pouch may be rounded in an oval shape.

Typically, the closed front tab, the closed back tab, and the pouch arecomprised of a pliable material such as natural or synthetic leather andconfigured such that they all curve in the same direction. In thismanner the holster may be made to conform to a user's body. The interiorof the pouch may also be natural or synthetic leather or alternativelythe interior may be lined with a different material. In some embodimentsthe interior of the pouch may comprise a material such as polishedleather or another material that facilitates rapid removal of a sightedhandgun.

SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a holster made from sewing orstitching or attaching two opposing pieces of leather or other materialto form a front closed tab 10 and rear closed tab 20 leaving an openpouch 13 therebetween. The height 11 of each closed tab is about 3.75inches while the length 12 of each closed tab is about 2.25 inches. Theclosed tabs have a pouch 13 between them. The pouch has a top opening 14for receiving a handgun. The top opening of the pouch has a length 15 ofabout 4 inches from front tab to rear tab when the pouch is empty andlaid flat.

As shown the holster has a bottom opening 16 adjacent the rear tab and abottom opening 17 adjacent the front tab with the pouch being closed atbottom 18. The pouch 14 has a height 19 of about 7 inches. The bottomopening 16 adjacent the rear tab is slightly larger than the bottomopening 17 adjacent the front tab. In this embodiment, the bottomopening 16 adjacent the rear tab is a length 21 of about 2.5 inches whenthe holster is laid flat without a weapon. The bottom opening 17adjacent the front tab has a length 22 of about 2 inches when theholster is laid flat without a weapon.

A front tab clip 23 is attached to the front tab and rear tab clip 24 isattached to the rear tab. Each are configured to clip to a user belt.The front tab clip is typically nearer the top of the front tab than therear tab clip is to the top of the rear tab. It is desired that thefront portion of the holster be higher than the rear when affixed to auser to facilitate concealment and facilitate the weapon staying securedin the holster.

FIG. 2 shows a sighted handgun 30 in the holster depicted in FIG. 1.

The holster depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be made in any convenientmanner. For example, two pieces of leather may be cut in the desiredshape of the holster as mirror images except that one of the two pieceswill have an extension that will become closure 18 at the bottom of thepouch. The mirror images may then be stitched along the perimeter ofwhat will become the front and rear tab and glued or otherwise adheredin the front and rear tab portions to form the closed front and reartabs. The extension may then be folded and riveted or otherwise affixedto the opposing piece of leather forming closure 18 and openings 16 and17.

What is claimed is:
 1. A holster for concealing a laser-sighted handguncomprising: a closed front tab; a closed rear tab; a pouch for storing afirearm between said closed front tab and closed rear tab; wherein thepouch comprises a top opening for receiving a handgun barrel, a bottomopening adjacent the rear tab, and a bottom opening adjacent the fronttab; wherein the front tab comprises a front tab fastener configured tobe attached to a user; wherein the rear tab comprises a rear tabfastener configured to be attached to a user; and wherein the front tabfastener is nearer the top of the holster than the rear tab fastener. 2.The holster of claim 1 wherein the bottom opening adjacent the rear tabis larger than the bottom opening adjacent the front tab.
 3. The holsterof claim 1 wherein the bottom opening adjacent the rear tab isconfigured to receive a laser sight mounted to a barrel of a handgun. 4.The holster of claim 1 wherein the front tab fastener is a clipconfigured to be attached to a belt of the user.
 5. The holster of claim1 wherein the rear tab fastener is a clip configured to be attached to abelt of the user.
 6. The holster of claim 1 wherein the pouch extendsupwardly above the closed front tab.
 7. The holster of claim 1 whereinthe pouch extends upwardly above the closed rear tab.
 8. The holster ofclaim 1 wherein the pouch extends upwardly above the closed rear tab andclosed front tab and wherein the holster is configured such that ahandgun remains in substantially the same position and substantiallyconcealed when a user bends forward.
 9. The holster of claim 1 whereinthe closed front tab, the closed rear tab, and the pouch are configuredsuch that the holster conforms to a user's body.
 10. The holster ofclaim 1 wherein the closed front tab; the closed rear tab; and the pouchare configured such that they curve in the same direction.
 11. Theholster of claim 1 wherein the closed front tab and the closed rear tabare comprised of leather.
 12. The holster of claim 1 wherein the pouchis comprised of leather.
 13. The holster of claim 1 wherein the closedfront tab, the closed rear tab, and the pouch are each comprised of aleather and wherein the leather is selected from natural leather andsynthetic leather.
 14. The holster of claim 1 wherein the closed fronttab has a length of from about 1.5 to about 3 inches and a height offrom about 3 to about 5 inches.
 15. The holster of claim 1 wherein theclosed rear tab has a length of from about 1.5 to about 3 inches and aheight of from about 3 to about 5 inches.
 16. The holster of claim 1wherein the pouch has a height of from about 6 to about 8 inches. 17.The holster of claim 1 wherein the top opening of the pouch has a lengthof from 3.5 to about 5 inches when the pouch is empty.
 18. The holsterof claim 1 wherein the top opening of the pouch has a length of from 2to about 4 inches when the pouch is occupied by a laser-sighted handgun.19. The holster of claim 1 wherein an interior of the pouch comprises asurface to facilitate rapid removal of a laser-sighted handgun.
 20. Theholster of claim 1 wherein an interior of the pouch comprises polishedleather.